Conveying mechanism



M. J. ANDERSON 1,931,454

CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 28, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l Oct. 17, 1933.

Oct. 17, 1933. M. J ANDERSON 1,931,454

CONVEYING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28, 1952 n 3 a INVENTOR MARTIN J. ANDERSON AT'ToHIvEYs I Oct. 17, 1933. J ANDERSON 1,931,454

CONVEYING MECHANI SM ATTORNBXS 1933. M. .1. ANDERSON CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed De c.

28, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 5 MW T N N m E T vD WT mm A J Av W L 5 M. J. ANDERSON CONVEYING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 28, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 RN 3 M m 0 NM J M N up, n A M ATTO RNEYS Patented Oct. 17, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CONVEYING MECHANISM Application December 28, 1932. Serial No. 649,202

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This invention relates to new and useful improvements in conveying mechanisms, and more particularly to an improved runout table for transferring metal-bars, plates and sheets from a heating furnace to a rolling mill receive. It may also be used for transporting bundles, packages, boxes, and various other articles, which are to be conveyed or transported from a plurality of conveyers or stations to a single conveyer or receiving means.

An object of the invention is to provide a reliable and efficient power operated runout table which may be used in a manner similar to the switch mechanism disclosed in my copending applications, Serial No. 604,380, filed April 11, 1932,

and Serial No. 638,048, filed October 17, 1932.

The switch mechanisms disclosed in my pending applications above mentioned, are of the gravity type, and are adapted for handl' 1g various kinds of articles as, for example, metal bars, plates, sheets, and other articles such as bundles, boxes, packages, etc., which are to be conveyed from two or more separate sources of supply to a suitable receiving means, as for instance, in the manufacture of sheet metal, the switch mechanism may be interposed between a double heating furnace and a rolling mill, to quickly transport the hot sheets or packs of sheets from either side of the furnace to the mechanical feeder table of a feeder and catcher unit, such as are often used in connection with rolling mills to expedite the handling of the sheets.

Obviously, when a gravity type switch mechanism is employed, its receiving end must be at a higher elevation than its discharge end, so that there will be sufficient grade to cause the articles being transferred to travel by gravity thereover. However, in designing runout tables for various steel mills, such as sheet and tin plate mills, I have frequently found, particularly in plants where the sheets were formerly transferred manually from the furnace to the rolling mill receive table, that the furnace discharge and the rolling mill receive are situated at substantially the same elevation, thus precluding the use of gravity type switch mechanisms to transfer the metal plates from the furnace to the rolling mill in such installations, unless the furnace discharge is raised to a higher elevation. To elevate the furnace discharge may require elevating the entire furnace, which in some instances would not be considered practical, because of the added expense of rebuilding the furnace. Gravity type switch mechanisms may be practically used in connection with some furnace and rolling mill installations where the discharge end of the furnace is situated at a higher elevation than the receive end of the rolling mill, but in installations where the furnace and rolling mill are located at substantially the same elevation, the mill operators and engineers usually object to the use of such gravity mechanisms, because of the necessity of having to elevate the heating furnace to a higher ele vation, which may involve considerable expense.

As a result, mill operators are partial to a power operated runout table for the transferring of sheets from the furnace discharge to the rolling mill receive, because, it is positive in operation; will transfer the sheets in a predetermined length of time; and the relative-difference in elevation between the furnace and the rolling mill becomes of minor importance for the reason that a power operated runout table will operate equally well whether its carrying bedis level or is inclined.

In some installations, the distance between the furnace discharge and the rolling mill receive may be so great that sufficient grade cannot be obtained between the furnace and mill, unless the furnace is elevated to a considerable height which will insure delivery of the sheets to the rolling mill receive by gravity in the required time. It is therefore desirable that a power driven conveyer means be provided for thus transferring hot plates from a furnace to a rolling mill, whereby the plates may be thus transferred in the shortest. possible time, regardless of whether said power driven conveyer means is. operating at a level or a horizontal position, or whether its receive end is positioned at an elevation which may be higher or lower than the discharge end thereof.

An important object of this invention therefore is to provide a novel power-driven conveying mechanism or herringbone runout table for transferring metal plates or other articles from one or more sources of supply to a suitable receiving means, which mechanism is not dependent upon the law of gravity for conveying the articles thereover, and whichmay be used in a manner similar to the switch mechanisms set forth in my copending applications, hereinbefore mentioned.

A further object is to provide a reliable and eflicient conveying mechanism or runout table incorporating a power driven load-carrying bed comprising a plurality of live rollers disposed in adjacent rows, with the rollers of each row arrangediwith their axes parallel, but at an oblique angle to the axes of the rollers of an adjacent row, the rollers of each row decreasing in length to form substantially converging rows, so that the runout table will be of sufficient width at one end to receive articles from a double heating furnace,

or a plurality of conveyers or stations, and will be relativelynarrower at its opposite end so as to discharge the articles to a single conveyer or receiving means.

A further object is to provide a self-centering power-operated runout table, adapted to receive articles from two or more conveyers or stations which is constructed in such a manner that the articles delivered thereto will be automatically substantially centered thereon, as they are transported thereover for delivery to a single receive.

A further object is to provide a converging type self-centering power driven runout table comprising a plurality of load-carrying rollers which may be continuously driven to positively transfer articles thereover from two or more sources of supply to a single receiving means, without the utilization of mechanical means or devices for positioning the various elements of the mechanism to form a continuous and unrestricted path from either source of supply to the discharge, as is necessary when using runout tables or switch mechanisms comprising vertically movable switch sections.

A further object is to provide a self-centering power driven runout table incorporating smooth surfaced conveying rollers which may transport articles thereover, such as polished metal sheets and other articles having a highly finished surface, without damaging or scratching the surfaces thereof.

A further object is to provide a power driven herringbone runout table capable of transferring hot metal sheets from a furnace to a rolling mill at a high rate of speed, and in a predetermined length of time.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description and accompanying drawings, and will be pointed out in the annexed claims. E

In the accompanying drawings, there has been disclosed a structure designed to carry out the various objects of the invention, but it is to be understood that the invention is not confined to the exact features shown, as various changes may be made within the scope of the claims which follow. h

In the drawings;

Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved conveying mechanism or runout table;

Figure 2 is a similar view on a larger scale, with some of the parts broken away .to more clearly illustrate the various drives of the struc-- ture;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of Figure 2, showing the drive for the rollers at the receive end of the table, and parts of the structure being broken away to show the relative position of the main drive;

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation on the line 44 of Figure 2, showing one of the chain drives provided at the sides of the structure for driving the angularly disposed load-carrying rollers;

Figure 5 is an end elevation of the receive end of the runout table;

' Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view on the line 66 of Figure 2, with some of the parts omitted, showing the supporting means for the inner ends of the inclined live rollers, and also details or the. supporting structure;

Figure '7 is a detail sectional view on the lin 7-7 of Figure 2, showing the means for supporting the intermediate portions of the long load-carrying rollers at the receive end of the structure; and

Figure 8 is a plan view similar to Figure 1, but showing a runout table of unsymmetrical design.

The live roller runout table featured in this invention is shown comprising oppositely disposed side members 1, adapted to receive and rotatably support the outer ends of a, plurality of anti-friction rollers 2 and 2'. The inner or adjacent ends of these rollers may be supported in suitable angle brackets 3, secured to the top surface of a longitudinally disposed center beam 4, as best shown in Figures 2 and 6. The two sets or rows of rollers constitute the bed of the table, and are angularly disposed with relation to each other, and theadjacent ends of the rollers 2 and 2' are preferably arranged in staggered relation, as best shown in Figures 1 and 2. By thus angularly arranging the load-carrying rollers 2 and 2 .of the table, articles delivered to the receive end of the table will be conveyed inwardly towards the center of the discharge end thereof, substantially without friction, as

-will readily be understood by reference to Figures 1 and 8, wherein a plurality of articles D,

E, G, H, J, and K, indicated by dotted lines, are shown traveling over the table.

Relatively longer rollers 5 and 6-6 are shown provided at the receive end of the structure, and these rollers may be supported in suitable bearings provided in the end portions S of the side frame members 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 5. The frame portions S are preferably arranged in parallel relation to each other as shown. The intermediate portions of the rollers 5 and, 66 are supported upon suitable antifriction rollers 7, mounted in suitable brackets 8 secured to the end portion 9 of the center beam 4. The beam 4, as shown in Figure 6, is preferably of I-beam cross-section, and has a portion of its upper web cut away, as shown in Figure 7, to provide clearance for the rollers 7 and brackets 8.

The side frame supporting members 1 are preferably box-shaped in cross-section, as best shown in Figure 6, and each comprises two spaced apart side plates 10 and 11. As the two side menibers 1 are alike in construction, but one will be described in detail. The lower edges of the plates 10 and 11 are secured to a longitudinally extending flanged member 13 which serves as a spacer for the plates 10 and 11, and also rigidly con-'- nects said plates together at their bottoms to provide a rigid structure, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 6. The upper edge of the inside plate 11 terminates on a line which is substantially in alinement with the axes of the rollers 2, or 2', as shown in Figure 4. A complementary plate 12 is shown having its lower edge abuttingly engaged with the upper edge of the inner plate 11 and is detachably secured thereto by suitable means such as angle clips 13', shown in Figures 2 and 6. These clips are provided with suitable aperturesadapted to be alined to receive suitable bolts, as will readily be understood by reference to Figure 2. The upper portion of the plate 12 terminates in an outwardly directed horizontal flange 12 which is adapted to support the inner edge of a top cover plate 14.- The opposite edge of thecover 14 is hinged to the upper edge of theouter plate 10.

The abutting edges of the plates Hand. 12 are provided'with openings adapted toreceive the ends of the rollers 2 and 2', so that the outer ends of said rollers will be positioned in the spaces or chambers M provided between the plates 10 and 11-12 at each side of the structure. The outer terminals of the axles of the rollers 2 and 2' are non-rotatably received in suitable apertures provided in the outer plates 10, as shown in Figure 6.

The straight portions S of the side frame members 1 support the ends of the relatively longer rollers 5 and 6-6. When the rolling mill C is alined with two furnaces A and B, as shown in Figure 1, the side members 1 are symmetrical in shape and converge inwardly from the'relatively short straight portions S to the discharge end of the structure. The load-carrying rollers 2 and 2' at each side of the centerline of the appara us are arranged at substantially right angles to their respective side members 1, as clearly shown in Figure 1, whereby the axes of the rollers 2 will be angularly disposed with respect to the axes of the rollers 2. Bythus arranging the load-carrying rollers 2 and 2, articles delivered onto the receive end of the table from separate sources such as the furnaces A and B, will be conveyed over the top of the table towards the rolling mill C, and at the same time will be conveyed inwardly towards the center of the discharge end of the table, as indicated by the dotted lines D, E, and G in Figure 1, which represent different positions assumed by articles as they travel over the rollers 2 and 2'.

The means provided for coninuously driving or rotating the rollers 2 and 2' and also the relatively longer rollers 5 and 6-6, is best shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4. The rollers 2 and 2 are provided at their outer ends with suitable sprockets 17 which sprockets are located within the chambers M in the side members 1, as shown in Figures 2 and 6. The sprockets of the rollers 2 are adapted to be driven by the upper run of a chain 18 as shown in Figure 4, and the lower run of this chain is supported upon suitable sprockets 19, 20, and 21. The sprocket 19 is secured to a short shaft 23, shown rotatably supporied in antifriction bearings 24 mounted for sliding movement upon suitable supporting members 25 secured to the side plates 10 and 11. Adjusting screws 26 are adjustably supported in upstanding elemen's secured to the members 25, and their terminals are adapted-to engage upright portions of a pair of sliding base members 27, whereby the shaft 23 may be relatively moved to adjust the tension of the chain 18.

The sprocket 21 is secured to a shaft 29 which is ro'atably supported in similar bearings 24 bolted to suitable brackets 30 which also may be secured to the plates 10 and 11, as shown in Figure 3. The sprocket 20 is secured to a shaft 33 mounted in similar bearings 24, the outer one of which is secured to a suitable bracket 34 similar to the bracket 30, as shown in Figure 3, and

' which may be secured to the side plate 10. The

other bearing 24 of the shaft 33 is secured to one of a plurality of frame members 35 which cooperate with a. plurality of cross members 36 to provide a support for the driving mechanism of the apparatus, as shown in Figure 2.

A gear 37 is secured to the shaft 33 and meshes with a simi ar 'gear 37 secured to a jack shaft 38, shown mounted in bearings 24 secured to two of the frame members 35. A bevel gear 39 is secured to one end of a shaft 38 and meshes with a similar gear 39 secured to the slow speed shaft of a speed reduction unit 40, shown operatively connected to a suitable motor 41 by means'of a coupling 42. By means of the above described driving mechanism, when the motor 41 is operated, the shaft 33 will be rotated to drive the chain and thereby rotate all of the rollers 2, as will be clearly understood by reference to Figures 2 and 4. The sprocket 21 functions as a snub sprocket to guide the chain 18 around the drive sprocket 20 to provide a good driving connection between said sprocket and the chain. J

The rollers 2' at the opposite side of the runout table are driven in substantially the same manner as the rollers 2, and. the sprockets 1'7 thereof are engaged by the upper run of a similar chain 18, as shown in Figure 1. The chain 13 is driven from a shaft 44 having a bevel gear 39 operatively connecting it wi'h the bevel gear 39 of the speed reducing unit 40. In order that the two chains 18 and 18 may be driven in the same direction so as to rotate all of the rollers 2 and'2' in the same directions, .the shaft 33 is driven from the jack shaft 38 by means of the gears 37.

The relatively longer rollers 5 and 6-6 at the receive end of the table are also driven from the motor 41 and synchronously with the rollers 2 and 2'. To thus drive the rollers 5 and 6-6, a sprocket 47 is secured to the opposite end of the motor shaft and has a chain 49 operatively connecting it with a sprocket 48 secured to a shaft 50 supported in bearings 24, one of which is secured to an inner frame member 51 and the other to a bracket 52 secured to the outer plate 10 of the adjacent side frame members 1. A sprocket 53 is secured to the outer end of the shaft 50 and is operatively connecied to the sprockets 55 and 56-56 by means of a chain 57, which is tensioned by a take-up sprocket 58 secured to a shaft 59 rotatably supported in bearings 24 adjustably supported upon a portion of the main frame, as shown in Figures 2 and 5. The sprockets 55 and 56-56 are secured to suitable shafts 60 mounted for rotation in bearings 63, secured to the side plates 10, and upon these shafts the rollers 5 and 6-6 are mounted and secured. As hereinbefore stated, the chain 57 operatively engages all of the sprockets 55 and 56-56, and will therefore rotate all of the rollers 5 and 6-6 when the shaft 50 is actuated by the chain 49. It will thus be seen that all of the rollers of the mechanism are operatively connected with the motor 41, whereby when the latter is operated, all of the rollers 2 and 2, and 5 and 6-6 will be rotated simultaneously.

The sprockets 1'7, 19, 20, and 21 at each side of the apparatus are located within the chambers M in order to protect them from dust, dirt and other foreign matter. The bottoms of the chambers M are defined by plates 64 having their opposite edges suitably secured to their respective plates 10 and 11, and having their end portions suitably connected to upright walls N and P of the side frame members 1, as shown in Figure 4, thereby providing the closed chambers M. These chambers may be utilized as oil reservoirs by introducing a sufficient amount of oil therein, through which the chains will travel and thus pick up oil and carry it to the sprockets 17, to lubricate the latter and the bearings of the rollers connected therewith. Suitable cupshaped members or disks 66 are provided upon the rollers 2 and 2' within the chambers M to prevent the oil delivered to said rollers by the chains 18 and 18' from traveling along the peripheries of the rollers and through the apertures provided in the abutting edges of the inner plates 11 and 12.

in steel mills, and are usually known directly with the periphery thereof.

7 In the drawings, I have shown all of the rollers driven by means of chains and sprockets, but it is to be understood that various other well-known means may be provided for driving the roller as, for example, bevel gears, and different types of chains and sprockets from those shown, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Operation Whenthe novel live roller conveyer mechanism or runout table herein disclosed is employed for transporting sheets or packs of sheets from two or more heating furnaces A and B, to a rolling mill C, it is interposed between the discharge ends of the furnaces and the receiving means leading to the rolling mill C, as diagrammatically illustrated'in Figure 1. During the operation of rolling the metal into thin sheets, the rollers of the runout table operate continuously and are at all times in readiness to receive the sheets discharging from the furnaces and transport them to the rolling mill. When a sheet is discharged from furnace A, it is conveyed straight onto the runout table by the rollers 5 and 6-6 until substantially one-half the weight of the sheet is carried by the rollers 2'. These rollers being disposed at an angle with relation to the rollers 5 and 66, will cause the sheet D to assume an angular position when it initially engages the rollers 2, as shown in Figure 1. The sheet will be carried in this angular position towards the discharge end of the runout table. as indicated by the position assumed at E until it engages the rollers 2 at the discharge end of the table, whereupon the sheet will assume the position indicated by the dotted lines G, in which position it will be substantially alined with the rolling mill C for delivery thereto. It will thus be observed that as the sheet travels over the runout table from the furnace A, it engages some of the rollers 2 at the discharge end thereof, whereby the angular relationship between the rollers 2 and 2', will inherently cause said rollers to tend to guide the sheet towards the center of the discharge end of the table, as indicated by the dotted line position G of the sheet in Figure 1, with the result that the sheet, when it reaches the position indicated by the letter G will be substantially longitudinally alined with the'rolling mill C, or with some other suitable receiving means, not shown, such as may be used as feeders and catcher tables.

' The operation of conveying sheets from furnace B to the rolling mill C is identical to that above described with reference to furnace A. The sheets may be received alternately from the furnaces A and B, or they may be received con-. tinuously from one or the other of said furnaces.

Figure 8 illustrates a runout table of unsymmetrical design which is adapted for use in connection with installations where the furnaces are not longitudinally alined with the rolling mill, as

in Figure 1. All of the rollers of the runout table shown in Figure 8 may be driven by a driving mechanism similar to that shown with refer- -ence to Figures 1 to 4, and the corresponding toward the discharge end of the table in a line of travel substantially at right angles to the axes of the rollers 2', as shown by the dotted line position indicated at J. From the position J to the discharge position K, the sheet is positioned, by the influence of the rollers 2 at the opposite side of the table, with its forward edge substantially in alinement with the axes of the mill rolls, not shown, or with its front and rear edges substantially parallel to the rollers2 of the runout table. A sheet received from furnace B will obviously be conveyed straight ahead over the table until it reaches a position near the discharge end thereof where a portion of the sheets surface will engage the rollers 2' of the opposite side of the table, which rollers will slightly oppose movement of the sheet in a straight ahead direction. It has been found, however, by experimentation, that the influence of the rollers 2' on the sheet is not serious, in that said influence causes only a slight skewing of the sheets.

The novel runout table herein-disclosed may be modified to adapt it to a wide variety of conditions as, for example, in steel mill work, the length of the table may be varied according to the distance between the discharge of the furnace and the rolling mill, and the convergence of the table may also be varied as will be clearly noted by reference to Figures 1 and 8. While herein I have shown the conveying mechanism as used in connection with a furnace and a rolling mill, it is to be understood that it may be used for various other purposes, where'applicable, without departing from the scope of the invention.

In Figures 1, 2, and 8, it will be noted that the adjacent ends of the rollers 2 and 2', towards the discharge end of the table, are interdigitated or meshed together, this being for the purpose of preventing the corners or leading edges of the metal sheets, should they sag or droop, from impinging against the inner ends of the rollers.

rality of load carrying rollers carried by said frame and arranged in adjacent rows, the rollers in onerow being arranged obliquely to the rollers in the other row and the outer ends of said rollers being inclined toward the discharge end of the conveyor, said rollers being disposed in staggered relation and the inner ends of the rollers .of adjacent rows being disposed in overlapping relation, each row of said rollers being adapted-to receive a sheet of material independently of the other rows at the furnace end of said conveyor and as said sheet advances both rows of rollers being adapted to engage each sheet of material ,to guide the same to the common point of operation, and power operated means for driving said rollers, said rollers defining a moving bed providing a continuous support for the sheet of material and serving as the sole guiding means for the sheets as they advance from either furnace discharge to the common point of operation.

2. In a conveying mechanism for transferring hot sheet material from a plurality of furnaces to a common point of operation, a frame diverging at one end to embrace the discharge points of said furnaces and converging at the opposite end to said common point of operation, a plurality of load carrying rollers carried by said frame and arranged in adjacent rows, the rollers in one row being arranged obliquely to the rollers in the other row and the outer ends of said rollers being inclined toward the discharge end of the conveyor, each row of said rollers being adapted to receive a sheet of material independently of the other row at the furnace end of said conveyor and as said sheet advances both rows of rollers being adapted to engage each sheet of material to guide the same to the common point of operation, power transmitting mechanism interconnecting the rollers in each row as a unit, means for driving said unit rows, said power actuated rollers defining a moving bed and serving as a sole guiding and actuating means for the sheets as they advance from each furnace discharge to the common point of operation.

3. In a conveying mechanism for transferring hot sheet material from a plurality of furnaces to a common point of operation, a frame diverging at one end to embrace the discharge points of said furnaces and converging at the opposite end to said common point of operation, a plurality of receiving rollers extending across the discharge points of said furnaces and arranged at right angles to the center line of said frame, a plurality of load carrying rollers carried by said frame and arranged in adjacent rows, the rollers in one row being arranged obliquely to the rollers in the other row and the rollers in each row being disposed obliquely to the center line of said frame with the outer ends inclined toward the discharge end of the conveyor, each row of said rollers being adapted to receive a sheet of material independently of the other row at the furnace end of said conveyor'and as said sheet advances both rows of rollers being adapted to engage each sheet of material to guide the same to the common point of operation, and power operated means for driving said rollers, said rollers defining a moving bed for the sheet of material and serving as the sole guiding means for the sheets as they advance from each furnace discharge to thecommon point of operation.

4. In a conveying mechanism for transferring hot sheet material from a plurality of furnaces to a common point of operation, a frame diverging at one end to embrace the discharge points of said furnaces and converging at the opposite end to said common point of operation, a pluralifiy of receiving rollers extending across the discharge points of said furnaces and arranged at right angles to the center line of -said frame, power operated means for driving said rollers,

a plurality of load carrying rollers carried by said frame and arranged in adjacent rows, the rollers in each row being arranged at right angles to the adjacent frame and obliquely to the rollers in the adjacent row, each row of said rollers being adapted to receive a sheet of material independently of the other row at the furnace end of said conveyor and as said sheet advances both rows of rollers being adapted to engage each sheet of material to guide the same to the common point of operation, power transmitting mechanism interconnecting the rollers in each row as a unit, means for driving said unit rows, said power actuated rollers defining a moving bed and serving as the sole guiding and actuating means for the sheets as they advance from each furnace discharge to the common point of operation.

5. In a conveying mechanism for transferring articles from a plurality of laterally spaced receiving points to a common point of discharge, a frame diverging at one end to embrace the laterally spaced receiving points and converging at the opposite end to said common point of discharge, a plurality of load carrying rollers carried by said frame and arranged in adjacent rows, the rollers in one row being arranged obliquely to the rollers in the other row and the outer end of said rollers being inclined toward the discharge end of the conveyor, each row of the rollers being adapted to initially receive an article independ- 10 ently of the other row, at the receiving end of the conveyor and as said article advances both rows of rollers being adapted to engage each article to guide the same to the common point of discharge, power transmitting mechanism in- 11 terconnecting each of the rollers in each row as a unit, means for driving said unit rows, said power actuated rollers defining a moving bed and serving as the sole guiding means for the articles as they advance from the laterally spaced 11 receiving points to the common point of discharge.

6. In a conveying mechanism for transferring articles from a plurality of laterally spaced receiving points to a common point of discharge, a frame disposed between said laterally spaced re- 12 ceiving points and said common point of discharge, a plurality of load carrying rollers carried by said frame and arranged in adjacent rows, the rollers in one row being arranged obliquely to the rollersin the other row and the outer ends 12 of said rollers being inclined toward the discharge end of the conveyor, each row of rollers being adapted to initially receive an article independently of the other row at the receiving end of the conveyor and as said article advances both rows of rollers being adapted to engage each article to guide the same to the common point of discharge, power transmitting mechanism interconnecting each of the rollers in each row as a unit, means for driving each row as a unit, said 13 power actuated rollers defining a moving bed and serving as a sole guiding means for the articles as they advance from the laterally spaced receiving points to the common point of discharge. v 1

MARTIN J. ANDERSON. 

